Folding apparatus for paper and the like



May 26, 1970 w. c. HOFF FOLDING APPARATUS FOR PAPER AND THE LIKE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 15, 1967 INVENTOR WALL) C. HOFF May 26, 1970w. c. HOFF 3,514,097

FOLDING APPARATUS FOR PAPER AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 13, 1967 2Sheets-Sheet z I2 26 ll 12 FIG. 6

2 n 2 INVENTOR 4 I WALL) c. HOFF ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,514,097FOLDING APPARATUS FOR PAPER AND THE LIKE Wally Charles Hoff, Toronto,Ontario, Canada, assignor to General Binding Corporation (Canada)Limited, a

corporation of Canada Filed Nov. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 682,335 Int. Cl.B65h 45/04 US. Cl. 270-61 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thisspecification discloses a piece of apparatus suitable for a small ormedium size ofiice for use by untrained secretarial staff for foldingmail and other pieces of paper and such sheet material. The apparatusincludes a recessed die into which the paper is forced by a mandrel,thereby creasing the paper along either side of the mandrel. In a secondoperation, these creases are flattened and the piece of folded paper isremoved.

This invention relates to apparatus for folding paper such ascorrespondence and the like.

Apparatus of this general type, usually known as mail folders, has beenunder development for many years for use in the handling of bulkcorrespondence, usually by agencies specializing in the business ofpreparing and mailing correspondence for others. Obviously, in view ofthe very large volumes of correspondence handled by such specializedbusinesses, the letter folding machines developed by them have generallybeen developed to high degree of sophistication and capable of highspeed continuous operation whereby to reduce the amount of handling ofsuch correspondence to a minimum.

However, such sophisticated machines represent a very substantialcapital investment, and are very seldom found in offices and smallbusinesses, since the volume of correspondence handled, generallyspeaking, does not warrant such an expense. As a result, the greatmajority of business correspondence is folded entirely by hand. Handfolding of letters is undesirable from various points of view. Forexample, letters are often folded erratically or incorrectly and arriveat their destination looking crumpled and present a poor impression. Inaddition, such incorrect folding can sometimes lead to tearing of theletters when the envelopes are opened at their destination. Anotherdisadvantage stems from the use of ballpoint pens in which the supply ofink is often excessive, and takes a considerable length of time to dry.When letters signed with such a ballpoint pen are folded by hand, thesignature becomes smudged and may mark the correspondence or othermaterial folded with the letter.

The present invention is therefore directed to providing a letterfolding machine which is directed specifically to the hitherto untappedmarket provided by a large number of offices and small businesses wheremail is daily folded by hand.

It is the objective of the invention to provide a letter foldingapparatus which is small and compact and may lie on a desk withoutobstruction to the normal use of the desk, and which involves a minimumof moving parts and is simple to operate by secretarial personnelwithout any special mechanical knowledge or training.

More particularly it is an objective of the present invention to providea letter folding machine having the foregoing advantages in which asubstantial portion of the machine may be molded in one piece fromplastic, thereby reducing the cost.

More particularly, it is an objective of the present invention toprovide a letter folding machine having the foregoing advantages inwhich the letter is folded in a die of predetermined dimensions, thelocation of the folds in the letter being adjustable by means of a stopadjacent to one side of the die thereby ensuring the provision ofprecisely regulated fold lines in the letter.

More particularly, it is an objective of the present invention toprovide a letter folding machine having the foregoing advantages whichis substantially unbreakable and in which no service is required.

The foregoing and other advantages will become apparent from thefollowing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention whichis hereinafter described, by way of example only, with reference to thefollowing drawings in which like reference devices refer to like partsthereof throughout the various views and diagrams and in which;

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a folding apparatus according tothe invention;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged sectional illustration of a detail of theapparatus shown in FIG. 1, along the line 2-2;

FIG. 3 is top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. l illustratingthe first step of the operation thereof;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational View of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 andFIG. 3 at a second stage in the operation;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view, similar to that of FIG. 3, showing the thirdand final stage of the operation;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of a further embodiment of theapparatus, and,

FIG. 7 is a perspective illustration of a detail of the apparatusshowing a further embodiment.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 5, it will be seen that this preferredembodiment of the mail folder according to the invention comprises aone-piece unitary base indicated generally as 10 formed of mouldedplastic, and having a recessed, folding die 11 formed therein ofpredetermined width, being defined by tapering side walls 12, whichdiverge towards the bottom of die 11 thereby providing a mouth oropening thereof of reduced size. A moveable register bar 13 is locatedon one side of base 10 being adjustably secured, as by wing nuts 14 invariable locations, base 10 being slotted as at 15 for the purpose. Afixed register member 16 is moulded on base '10 along another sidethereof normal to register bar 13.

A letter folding mandrel plate 17 is formed of stainless steel orheavily plated steel to permit easy sliding of paper thereon and isdimensioned to fit within die 11 at its smallest point, namely its upperportion. Mandrel plate 17 is hingedly mounted on base 10 by means of rod18 passing through struck out portions 19 of plate 17 and seated at eachend in recesses in register member 16.

Mandrel plate 17 incorporates an integral handle 20 extending to oneside of base 10 upwardly at an angle of about 45, for raising plate 17.A spring 21 having free ends 22 engaging base 10 and a pressure arm 23overlying plate 17 provides downward spring pressure on plate 17 toforce the same into die 11.

In order to flatten the creases formed in a letter or piece of paper,indicated as 1, a pair of creasing clips 24 are attached at the end ofdie 11, on base 10 remote from register member 16. Clips 24 are biaseddownwardly to press against the lower surface of die 11, and incorporateupwardly angled deflector guides 25 to guide the loosely creased paper 1into clips 24. U-shaped finger and thumb openings 26 and 27 are cut outof base 10 and plate 17 in registration with one another to permit thefolded letter or piece of paper 1 to be grasped with finger and thumband be drawn endwise off mandrel plate 17 between clips 24.

In operation, mandrel plate 17 is raised by pressing handle downwardlyand slipping the piece of paper 1 between plate 17 and base 10, beingsure that two side edges of paper I register, one with fixed registermember 16 and the other with moveable register bar 13. It will beappreciated that moveable register bar 13 has been adjusted by trial anderror so as to locate the piece of paper 1 in the correct position inwhich it is desired to form the final folds. Handle 20 is then releasedand pressure on 23 of spring 21 forces mandrel plate 17 downwardly intodie 11. Such downward pressure pinches paper 1 into loose creases alongeither side of plate 17, and the tapering side walls 12 ofv die 11 causepaper 1 to fold inwardly over mandrel 17. In order to increase thisinward folding effect, it is to be noted that die 11 is somewhat deeperthan the thickness of mandrel 17, preferably being of a depthapproximately twice such thickness. The two upstanding ends of paper 1are then folded inwardly over mandrel 17 by hand and almostsimultaneously the finger and thumb can take hold of the three layers ofpaper at the free end of mandrel 17 and draw the same endwise offmandrel 17 between clips 24. Deflector guides 25 of clips 24 will causethe loosely folded portions of paper 1 to enter clips 24 without distorting the same, and clips 24 will flatten the creases formed inpaper 1. The folded piece of mail can then be inserted into an envelopeas a subsequent operation.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, illustrated in FIG.6, provision may be made for automatic or semi-automatic operation. Thusthe intermediate step, described above, manually infolding the two freeends of paper 1 over mandrel 17 may in fact be performed by means suchas a mobile roller 30, arranged on yoke 31 which is internally threadedand driven by an archimedes screw 32 mounted for rotation between plates33. An electric motor 34 will rotate screw 32 and cause yoke 31 totravel to and fro across base 10. In such to and fro movement, rollerwill catch first one portion and then the other of paper 1 and flattenthe same against mandrel 17. Any suitable switch means 35 can beprovided for operating motor 34 when, mandrel 17 is seated in die 11.Obviously, this arrangement may be improved in many ways, this beingmerely illustrative of a crude form of automatic means for performingthis operation.

The operation of roller 30 could thus be effected more quickly by acontinuous belt and a motor driving the same through a clutch andreversing mechanism.

According to a further embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, clips 24 forflattening the creases may be replaced by rollers 37 mounted forrotation on brackets 38 formed integrally with spring arms 39 curved toprovide a spring biasing action pressing rollers 37 firmly downwardlyonto the bottom of die 11. Guide members 40 are formed integrally withspring arms for guiding paper 1 into rollers 37.

The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment of the invention isgiven here by way of example only. It is not intended that the inventionshall be deemed limited to any of the specific features described, butcomprehends all such variations thereof as come within the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for folding sheets of paper and the like said apparatuscomprising;

a flat planar base member;

a recessed paper folding die formed as a depression of predeterminedwidth defined by two spaced side walls in said base member below theplane of said base member, said width corresponding to the width of thesheet when folded and being open at one end for endwise removal of saidfolded sheet;

register means on at least two sides of said base mem- 4. her forlocating a sheet of paper or the like in predetermined relation to saiddie; mandrel means of generally flat planar construction swingablymounted at one end on one side of said base member for movement into andout of said die, the other end being free to permit removal of a foldedsheet of paper therefrom for forcing a portion of a sheet of paper intosaid die and creasing the same around said mandrel means, said mandrelbeing dimensioned to fit loosely within said die extending from side toside thereof between said side walls below the plane of said basesmember, and,

means mounted on and contacting said base member for flattening saidcreases in said paper.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said recessed die is definedby angled side walls diverging towards the interior of said die.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said register membersat least is moveable and including adjustable fastening means for saidmoveable register member for fastening the same in adjustable locationswith respect to said base.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including handle means integral withsaid mandrel, for movement of said mandrel away from said die and springmeans normally urging said mandrel into said die.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said flattening meanscomprises spring loaded pressure means at said open end of said die oneither side thereof, and guide means associated therewith for guidingsaid creased paper into said pressure means, as said paper is removedfrom said die through said open end thereof.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including hinge means for swingablymounting said mandrel on one side of said base, at one end of said die,for swinging movement into and out of said die, handle means integralwith said mandrel for causing swinging out of said die, and spring meansassociated with said mandrel normally urging the same into said die, andspring loaded pressure means at the other end of said die on either sidethereof, and guide means associated with said pressure means for guidingsaid creased paper into said pressure means as the same is Withdrawnfrom said die.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mandrel is of apredetermined thickness, and said die is recessed in said base to adepth of about twice said mandrel thickness.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including roller means movablymounted on said base member to move from side to side of said basemember over said mandrel when the same is in position in said die toflatten said paper against said mandrel, and drive means including anelectric motor for driving said roller means to move to and fro.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,678,917 7/1928 Roush 270-611,806,125 5/1931 Spohn 270-61 1,809,000 6/1931 Stealy 270- 2,918,27612/1959 Weston 2706l 3,391,923 7/1968 Kohlmeyer 270-84 FOREIGN PATENTS79,577 6/1919 Austria. 87,292 5/1966 France.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 270-86

